IND vs SL 2022 | Never thought that I would play 100 Test matches, says Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli will become the 12th Indian to play 100 or more Test matches when India take on Sri Lanka on March 4 in the first of the two-match series in Mohali. 

Ahead of his historic landmark, Kohli did not attend the post-match press conference. However,  the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) instead decided to post an interview with him on social media, where Kohli said playing 100 Test matches for India is a special moment for him, his family, and his coach.

Kohli also said that he is grateful that he has been able to reach the elusive milestone of 100 Test matches that he never thought he would reach. He also thanked God for being kind to him throughout his career.

"I honestly never thought I would play 100 Test matches. It has been a long journey. We played a lot of cricket over the course of playing those 100 Test matches. A lot of international cricket. I am just grateful that I've been able to make it to 100. God has been kind. I have worked really hard for my fitness. It's a big moment for me, for my family, for my coach, who is also very happy and very proud of this Test match as long as I am concerned," Kohli said in a video shared by BCCI.

Further, Kohli revealed that his focus has always remained on playing as long as possible for the benefits of the team.

“The idea was always to score huge runs. I got about 7-8 double hundreds in junior cricket before making it to the First Class level. So, the idea was to bat long as long as I could and win the match for my team, to take the first-innings lead or score two points,” Kohli added.

Kohli will join an elite list, comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble, Kapil Dev, Sourav Ganguly, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ishant Sharma and Harbhajan Singh, when he make his 100th Test appearence.